The referral pathways guide
Read with intention
Meet the cliniciansClear your fines while you get support.
Eligible people can clear Revenue NSW fines through approved activities instead of money, and psychological treatment counts. Mind Health is an approved WDO sponsor: the sessions that support you also reduce what you owe.
What a Work and Development Order actually is.
A Work and Development Order (WDO) is a NSW Government scheme delivered by Revenue NSW with Legal Aid NSW and the NSW Department of Communities & Justice. Instead of paying eligible fines with money you don’t have, you clear them through approved activities, including mental-health treatment with a registered health practitioner. Taking part is voluntary, and this page is general information rather than legal or financial advice.
Several pathways in
You may be eligible for a WDO if one or more of these applies to you, and many people qualify through more than one.
- You have a mental illness, or ongoing mental-health difficulties
- You have an intellectual disability or cognitive impairment
- You’re experiencing homelessness, or a serious addiction to alcohol or other drugs
- You’re in acute financial hardship, which includes receiving a Centrelink benefit
Up to $1,000 a month
Fully participating in an approved mental-health treatment plan can clear up to $1,000 of eligible fine debt each month.
- Covers overdue penalty-notice and court fines enforced by Revenue NSW
- Rates are set by Revenue NSW’s WDO guidelines
- Enforcement action, such as licence restrictions, is generally lifted once your WDO is in place
Treatment as the activity
Sessions with a psychologist, delivered under a health practitioner’s treatment plan, count as an approved WDO activity.
- Individual psychological treatment and counselling
- Includes counselling for alcohol and other drug concerns
- We don’t provide medication-based or residential-rehabilitation activities
An approved WDO sponsor
As an approved WDO sponsor, Mind Health supervises your WDO and reports your participation, so attendance steadily reduces the debt.
- We set up and manage the WDO paperwork with Revenue NSW
- Reporting covers only your participation and never what you talk about
- It’s voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time
Three steps to get started.
Most people can have a WDO moving within a couple of weeks. Here’s the path.
- 1
Talk to us first
Call 1300 084 200 or send the contact form. We’ll talk through your fines and situation, check the eligibility pathways with you, and explain plainly, without judgement, what the sessions involve.
No referral needed to enquire - 2
Sort the funding
The WDO clears fine debt, but it doesn’t pay for sessions. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP can unlock Medicare rebates on the cost, and we confirm your fee and rebate in writing before you start.
Medicare rebates may apply - 3
Attend, and the debt comes down
We lodge the WDO with Revenue NSW, you attend your sessions, and we report your participation as your sponsor. Your fine balance reduces as your treatment progresses.
We handle the sponsor reporting
Straight answers about money.
A WDO deals with the fine debt. Here’s how the session side works, and where we stand.
The WDO clears fines, not session fees. Your attendance reduces what you owe Revenue NSW, but the sessions themselves are funded separately. With a GP referral and Mental Health Treatment Plan, Medicare rebates cover part of each session fee. Current amounts are on our fees & rebates page. We confirm your exact out-of-pocket cost in writing before your first appointment. If cost is a barrier, say so when you call and we’ll talk through the options honestly.
No judgement here. Fines tend to pile up fastest in the hardest seasons, such as illness, unstable housing, job loss or caring for someone. Working through a WDO is a practical, government-recognised way to deal with the debt while looking after your mental health at the same time. If things feel overwhelming right now, our urgent help page lists services available today.
Work and Development Orders, answered.
Which fines can a WDO clear?
How much comes off my fines?
Do the sessions themselves cost anything?
Will Revenue NSW see my clinical details?
Can I still apply if I’m under 18, or not sure I’m eligible?
Fines shouldn’t stand between you and support.
Tell us a little about your situation and we’ll explain how a WDO could work for you, usually within one business day. Everything is confidential and judgement-free.
